The previous two pages show that
a car
that crashes
experiences a much largerforce
than a car that has stopped
safely by braking.People(the driver
and passengers) inside a car
that crashes
are also exposed to a largeforceand this can cause injuries.

Below are listed three
ways in which safety features
try to minimize the force
during a crash by making
the change in
momentum happen over a longerperiod of time
(cycle and motorcyclehelmets
work in the same way).

What is a CrumpleZone?

The car is designed so that the structure
of the car
will give way during a collision.
Themetal of the car
will dent, bend and fold
during a collision
which increases the amount of time
it takes the car to stop.
The parts of the car that
do this
(the front and the back)
are called crumplezones.

How do Seatbelts work?

Car seatbelts protect people in two
ways during a crash.
The seatbeltprevents
the person being thrown about in the car,
possibly through the windscreen
or hittingthemselves
on the steering wheel or other
objects.
The seatbelt also stretches
a little, while restrainingthe person during a crash.
The stretching
increases the amount of time it takes the person
to stop.

How do Airbags work?

Airbags are bags which
inflatevery quickly
during a crash.
They provide a softer surface (like a pillow)
to prevent the people hittingthemselves on hard
objects.
They are designed to be used with a seatbelt.
An airbag will give way
a little when a personhits
it and this gives anextraincrease to
the amount of time it takes the person
to stop.

Bubble
wrappackaging has the same
effect
and is used to protect objects that are being
transported.